Page 6 - THE I love learning new things, mainly obscure things. Little fun facts that I can arbitrarily throw into conversation and seem really intelligent. Like your thumb is the same length as your nose, the most common name in the world is Mohammed and that Shakespeare invented the words “bump” and “assassinate”. Did you know President Andrew Jackson’s pet parrot had to be removed from his funeral in 1845 because it was swearing? Why am I obsessed with finding out these little ditties? What drives me to study them and then memorize them? What possessed me to buy “The Ultimate Book of Useless Information”? Simply put, I like knowing there are answers for almost everything. I am obsessed with order and place. Everything in my world must have a place and an order and to have something that does not belong or fit drive me insane. Being a writer, I don’t like surprises. I like to know the ending before it begins. I need to know how the story goes from start to finish so I can write it all out and put it in order. The same goes for the game “Mahjong”. No matter how many different ways you play, if you play the tiles correctly you will never have any left over. And “Tetris”; now there’s an order fanatic’s dream. As for my shopping habits, at the grocery store I will buy two of everything; one to use, and one to have as backup. I never realized I did it until it was pointed out to
Much Ado About Nothing. Corinda Hackworth chackworth@yahoo.com
me. But it I feel comforted knowing I have an extra whatever to fall back on. I can’t run out; no surprises. I like knowing that when I buy my daily coffee at Red Sky, it comes out to $1.33. And I am one of those people who pays exact change for things. The employees patiently wait while I dig through my purse to find the exact amount. And I feel really unsettled when I don’t have the thirty-three cents. I will have something left over; a remainder. Noticing my idiosyncrasy, Sherrill, owner of Red Sky Coffee Shop in beautiful downtown Stockbridge, asked me if I preferred odd or even numbers. I pushed my lips out as I pondered the question (“monkey face”, which I’ve noticed I’m making more and more). While I considered the answer, she told me that she prefers prime
WEEKLY PRIDE
numbers. Prime numbers are individuals. They are their own person. I told her I had to go the other way on that one. Even numbers are perfect for me. Everything is neat and even without a barrage of decimal points dragging behind. Decimal points are messy. Decimal points bring baggage into the relationship. Jean, an employee at said coffee shop, told me about a patron whose amounts always total $3.18. This customer will buy a gift certificate for himself in the amount of $31.80. Not only does he have ten cups of coffee prepaid for, but by also using his punch card for every cup purchased, his eleventh cup is free. Now that to me is ingenious. No loose ends, exact change plus an extra cuppa. What else is there? It makes perfect cents. (Ha! Get it?) It’s also extremely comforting for me knowing that there are more individuals like me out there. Well, I find it comforting while others deem it downright scary, one Bryan Hackworth. But again, I must reiterate the point: there is always an even solution to messy problem, an answer to every question, a fact for everything. So the next time you want to look intelligent, you can spout off the following fun fact: if the population of China began walking past you in single file, the line would never end because of the rate of population. And sleep soundly knowing that if you’re wondering why, there’s probably an answer.
Thank You (Continued from page 1)
114 N. Center Street, Stockbridge 517-851-7785
**COUPON** Daddy-Daughter Dance Dinner Special @ The BackStreet Receive one free kid’s meal from our kid’s menu with purchase of any dinner entrée over $8. (Offer Valid 2/7/09 only) (dinner reservations suggested but not required.)
Kitchen Hours Mon - Thurs - 7am - 9pm Fri - Sat - 7am - 10pm Sunday 7am - 8pm
Medina’s Mexican Cuisine Monday 11-5 Wednesday 11-7 Friday 11-5
Stockbridge Wrestling Club Parent & Wrestler Information Meeting Tuesday, February 10th at 6:00 pm Stockbridge Middle School Signing up wrestlers from 4 years through adult
"Strap your headgear on and join us on the mat!" SUDOKU PUZZLES OF THE WEEK If you have never completed one of these you might be asking what the rules are. They are quite simple. Each column needs to contain the numbers 1 - 9, each row needs to contain the numbers 1 - 9, and each 3 x 3 set of squares needs to contain the numbers 1 - 9.
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If you know of someone deserving of a Forgotten “Thank You”, please contact me by email: forgottenthankyou@yahoo.com or call The Weekly Pride toll-free at 888-318-1766.
Solution to last week’s puzzle.
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Thank you, Miss Dawn, for all you do for all of us!
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kindergarten for several years. Then as Lynsey was ready to begin Daisy’s in kindergarten, Dawn stepped up again and became the Girl Scout leader for the troop she still leads as 8th graders today. “Scouting is important. It’s a great opportunity to show kids responsibility, leadership and independence. They need to believe in themselves. We still have 9 girls in our troop and we’re very excited about a trip to New York City we’ll be taking in April,” Dawn said. One of Dawn’s other passions is the love of God. She taught Sunday School for 12 years using drama, puppetry and other unique hands-on methods of teaching. She calls herself a “prayer warrior” and believes it is God’s will for her life to touch children’s lives. Miss Dawn spent 26 years in middle management for Gelman – Francis Manufacturing before receiving the “nudge” to work with children. “Children have no fear. They are amazing ‘sponges’”. She went on to say, “Often there is not enough family time for kids, so I make sure the children have opportunities to express themselves and especially be listened to. I also think it’s important to make them laugh. We really have a lot of fun with learning.” Dawn also has the opportunity to spend time with kids as she drives a school bus for Stockbridge. “I remember as a kid spending a lot of time at my Grandma Musolf’s farm. She would spend time with me outside, learning about nature. If I wanted to play office or veterinarian, she would set up an entire office or clinic. She really encouraged me to use my imagination,” Dawn reflected. “I wish I had thought up this quote myself, but there is a poster on my wall in my classroom that really sums up how I feel about what I do”: ‘They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.’ by Carl W. Buechner
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